Victim
by TheLaikynVictoria
Summary: Hotchner and the team race against time to capture a serial kidnapper/killer who has already killed multiple times. The only twist? Hotch personally knows the latest victim. OC/Hotch


Author's Note: This story is for my buddy Paige and her original character, Veronica Ardeen.  
GO TWIMINAL MINDS!

Veronica Ardeen was your typical college student. She was 23, almost 24, years old. She had long, brunette hair and blue eyes; A natural beauty. She was turning heads everywhere she went, not all being males'.  
She was studying to be a criminal psychologist, or a profiler. She was in her fifth year (Going for her doctorates) and was passing with flying colors.

Her friends loved her.

Strangers loved her.

Her professors loved her.  
Everyone loved her.

She soon found out, however, that everyone loving her wasn't always a good thing.

"Another kidnapping?!" Morgan asked increduously. "So soon?"  
"Veronica Ardeen, 21 of DC." JJ stated. she laid her picture out on the table.  
"Beautiful, just like the others." Prentiss commented.  
"He's taken another victim only a few hours after dumping the last." Hotch continued. "I'm afraid he's on a downward spiral."  
"He's going to kill her faster than his other victims." Rossi said, his face unemotional like it had been all day. Like it had been the entire week they've been working this case.

"We've got to work this out." Reid said, shaking his head. "This girl could be dead before the day is over.  
__________________________________________________________________

"YOU CREEP!! LET ME GO!!!"

Veronica struggled in her restraints, burning her skin in the process.  
"There's no need to struggle,Veronica." He grinned. "You're not getting out of them."  
He seemed to like watching her struggle. Watching her try to figure out how to overpower him and possibly live.

Live.  
_Possibly _ live.

Yesterday, all Veronica cared about was passing her psychology exam and making it to Freya's party.  
Now here she was in God knows where tied to a metal pole with her psychotic kidnapper looking on.  
"Please, just let me go!" She pleaded, giving up on the ropes.  
"Why?" He asked, that stupid grin still on his face. "Why should I let you go?"  
"Because, if you kill me, you'll just kidnap another girl." She cried, sweat pouring down her face in the humid air. "And another, and another, and you'll never be satisfied!"

He raised his eyebrow, obviously amused.  
"You'll always feel empty! You'll keep killing until they catch you!" She continued. "They'll catch you and you'll go to prison for the rest of your life."  
He kept staring at her, the grin gone yet the hint of sarcasm still present in his features.  
"Why do you kill college women, huh?" She asked angrily. "Di..Did ya meet your girlfriend in college? Did she leave you?"  
His expression changed from sarcasm to anger.  
"We both know you'd never have a wife. You're girlfriends leave you when they _really _start getting to know you."  
He stood, his fists clenched.

_That's it. That's what it is._

_His girlfriend._

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife, raising above her.  
He grinned, again, as he said, "you should have kept your mouth shut."

* * *

"Let's go, people!" Hotch yelled, the frown on his face setting deeper and deeper.

They found their unsub through an ex-girlfriend who left him in college. They know where he is, and now they're just praying that Veronica Ardeen is there with him.

As they got to the SUVs, Morgan stopped Hotchner.  
"Hotch, what's wrong?" He asked. "You've been acting off since we found out about this new victim."  
Hotc sighed, his hand resting on the doorhandle.  
"I know her." He said softly. "I met her at a seminar that Rossi and I gave a few months ago."  
"Hotch-"  
"We talked. A lot. We've kept in contact and...She was busy with exams..." He trailed. "I figured..."  
He stopped, his features firm again.  
"Let's just get her back."  
They reached the unsub's house on the outer-limits of DC and climbed out of SUVs.  
"Prentiss, Morgan, around the back." Hotch whispered.

"Reid, Rossi, the front."  
He moved silently towards the side of the house, seeing stairs leading to a cellar.  
He quietly opened the large wooden door and started down the stairs.  
He heard voices float up the stairwell.

"Cellar guys, they're in the cellar."Hotch whispered into his cuff mic.  
He got to the bottom and he saw her.

He saw Veronica tied to a thick metal rod.  
"Shh." He placed his finger to his lips.

His gun poised, he said, "Greggory Gordon."  
The man turned around, knife in hand.  
"Who are you?!?!" He screamed, the knife raised.  
"Aaron Hotchner, FBI." He stated. "Put the knife down."  
"I have to kill her!" He yelled. "If I don't, she'll leave."  
"Mr. Gordon, I will not ask you again," Hotch said sternly, gun (obviously) still raised  
"put the knife down."  
Greggory looked at Veronica, then back at Hotchner, the knife half raised.  
"I...I can't." He turned towards Veronica quickly, raising the knife.  
And Hotch fired.

Three times.

Greggory Gordon fell to the ground, dead, as Veronica's scream resounded through the concrete cellar.

Hotch ran towards Veronica and untied her from the rod as the team looked on.  
"Aaron!" She cried. "Thank God..I can't..I just..."

He leaned forward and placed his lips on to hers and that's when the it truly felt, to Hotchner and Veronica anyway, that the whole earth fell away.


End file.
